Power outage causes Japan’s rail system to be sluggish

The last thing Japan’s rail
system is known for is being sluggish, but that’s the precise cause of a power
failure that delayed 12,000 passengers on May 30.

A single slug that inched
its way into an electrical power device near rail tracks has been found to be
the cause the massive outage that halted dozens of trains in southern Japan.

Operated by Kyushu Railway,
known as JR Kyushu, a spokesperson for the company told AFP, “We tracked down
the device responsible for the power failure … We initially thought what’s in
there was a bug but it turned out to be a dead slug”.

The little guy is thought to
have fried himself after short-circuiting the device.

The railway official said
the incident was rare.

“We often have trouble with deer colliding with trains but not a problem with slugs,” he said.